ROCK IN PREVENTION INTRODUCES INNOVATIVE ANTI-BULLYING PROGRAM USING MUSIC

Tue, May 01, 2012 18:15 CET

Des Moines, Iowa – May 1, 2012 The award-winning Rock In Prevention (Rock) nonprofit organization is introducing the new and innovative Rock LIVE Anti-Bullying Program utilizing songs, specialized curriculum and interactive exercises as teaching tools. With the federal government indicating that one in three students is bullied in American schools, and that one in four who bully will end up with criminal records, providing practical, positive prevention tools is essential.

“We know from the U.S. Department of Education, and also from empirical evidence in working with educators for 21 years, that bullying in schools has become an increasingly serious problem for students, their families, teachers, counselors, principals, superintendents and communities across the United States,” says Patrick McManus, President of Rock In Prevention. “We have created a state-of-the-art response that is solution-focused through skill building with students, teachers and school administrations.”

In a U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics study, during the 2009–10 school year, 23% of public schools reported that bullying occurred among students on a daily or weekly basis, and 9% reported widespread disorder in classrooms on a daily or weekly basis (Indicator 7). Also 63% of students, ages 12 to 18, reported being bullied at school and/or being cyber-bullied (anywhere), at least once or twice in the past year while 21%, nearly a fourth of students, indicated they had been bullied up to twice a month. In only 36% of all cases, did the students notify an adult of the incident.

“Too much time has been spent on sensationalizing the issue and not enough time working toward workable solutions to the problem, “McManus says. “After piloting Rock’s anti-bullying program for the past year, and with input from counselors and teachers, we are ready to officially announce this new program module is now formally available to all schools.”

The Rock In Prevention Anti-Bullying Program introduces program components that address how even young students, whether inclined to bully or be bullied, can learn to be assertive without becoming aggressive. The Rock In Prevention Anti-Bullying Program builds on Rock’s foundation of incorporating teaching, interactive exercises and music for learning retention, based on different learning styles of students, and includes a compact disc called “Don’t Be Hatin’” with nine songs.

The 40 lesson plans and activities as well as the music, educate on how to develop a positive school climate and create a caring community. At the individual level, it teaches about empathy, self-esteem, anger management and how a student can learn to stand up for himself or herself.

The mission of Rock in Prevention is to incorporate positively persuasive music and the arts with an educator-reviewed guide for teachers to reach the hearts and minds of young people and help them make healthy life choices. There are two key Rock In Prevention programs:

Anti-Bullying focused-program. In all cases, Rock staff members still integrate all three areas for a holistic Rock LIVE and the Rock 41PLUS Curriculum. Schools, youth programs and others can request that their Rock’s LIVE program focus primarily on Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Prevention; or Character Education; or now the approach to students’ wellbeing.

The Rock LIVE Anti-Bullying Program is part of Rock In Prevention LIVE, an evidence-based program designed to assist school counselors in meeting American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Model Goals and to meet the social, emotional and educational needs of students.

Rock In Prevention LIVE trains 15 to 30 local high school mentors for each onsite school session, who with Rock staff, then guide younger elementary and middle school students through anti-bullying, drug awareness and problem-solving. The program also increases parental involvement through family follow-up guides and activities. The high school mentors serve as role models to the younger students on how to be successful in school and in life. There is a five-week Classroom Follow-Up Guide along with music CD for teachers to use with their students. Rock LIVE also involves parents with a Family Follow-Up Guide, a music CD and written evaluations.

Rock In Prevention PLUS is an evidence-based 12-week elementary classroom curriculum for teachers and counselors. It comprehensively addresses the issues vital to developing healthy choices. Rock PLUS curriculum includes three levels: Level I: Grades 3-4; Level II: Grades 4-5; and Level III: Grades 5-6. There is a Rock In Prevention PLUS Instructor Manual Kit and Rock In Prevention Student Workbook Kit for each level. Each kit contains a CD of the songs used as teaching tools for each lesson. The curriculum helps meet American School Counselor Association Model goals in disciplines of health and wellness, personal and social skills, increased parental involvement and improvements in academic achievement.

Students take their Student Workbook home with them and complete a school-home link with their parents to introduce lessons to the family and to provide a measure of increased parental involvement. There are written evaluations and fidelity checklists to measure and meet maximum benefits for students.

About Us

Strategic America is a full service, integrated marketing and communications company that delivers performance solutions to its clients across Iowa and the U.S. Our client list includes Wendy’s Restaurants, Hunter Douglas, Lennox, Service Experts, Rotobrush, the Iowa Lottery, Great Western Bank, Broadlawns Medical Center, iwireless and others. Our staff of 90 professionals is driven to provide solutions to our clients’ needs.